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Smoking during pregnancy has well-documented negative effects on birth weight in infants and is linked to several childhood health problems. Now, researchers have found that prenatal marijuana use also can have consequences on infants’ weight and can influence behavior problems, especially when combined with tobacco use.

May

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A new study reveals why childhood friendships fall apart and is the first to demonstrate that parents are an important source of these breakups. Using data from 1,523 children, researchers examined parenting styles as well as mother and father self-reported depressive symptoms to predict the occurrence and timing of best friendships breaking up from the start to the end of elementary school (grades one to…

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A proposed change in immigration policy from the Trump administration could make it harder for immigrants to obtain a green card if family members use Medicaid, WIC or other federal medical benefits. (Image credit: Paula Andalo/Kaiser Health News)

May

09

Sorry, new parents — even though your infants appreciate your coos, they prefer to hear sounds from their peers — other babies. Even at the pre-babbling stage, infants recognize vowel-like sounds, but they tend to dwell on these sounds when from the mouths of babes.A new line of research focuses on one aspect of infant speech development: how babies perceive speech with infant vocal properties.

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Early findings on infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome are reassuring, and doctors are optimistic that normal development can continue. Making sure parents are treated for addiction is key. (Image credit: Sarah Jane Tribble/KHN)

May

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Different types of maternal homework assistance have a different impact on the child’s way of completing school assignments in grades 2 to 4 of elementary school, according to a new study. Although all homework assistance presumably aims at helping the child, not all types of homework assistance lead to equally positive outcomes.